Boot or shoe.



UNIT D STATES PATENT O IC JAMES FERGUSON SHARPE, OF TORONTO, CANADA.

BOOT OR SHOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 630,570, dated August 8, 1899.

Application filed March 12, 1898. $erial No. 673,638. (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES FERGUSON SHARPE, of the city of Toronto, in the county of York and Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boots or Shoes, of which theevery direotion,with sufficient stiffness to preev vent wrinkling, so that a lace may be used which draws upon the flaps to close and fasten them at two points only, substantially as hereinafter more specifically described and then definitely claimed.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a boot constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the inner side of the outer flap. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the under side of the under flap. Fig. 4is a perspective view of a portion of the crimped reinforcing-wire of the under flap.

In the drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several fig- UIOS.

A is the outer flap of the shoe, and B is the under flap. Along the edge of the outer flap I form a pocket by means of the leather strip a, sewed thereto. Within this pocket I insert a crimped wire to form a spring 0 and securely hold it in position by sewing across the ends of the pocket. After the spring 0 is placed in position I insert the eyelets D.

and E through the edge of the flap and pocket. The crimps in the wire of the spring O are made very deep, as shown, so as to give the spring perfect flexibility in. every direction, while at the same time it will be sufficiently stifi to prevent wrinkling of the edge of the flap which it is used to reinforce.

Running back from the edge of the under flap B is a pocket formed by a leather strip b. Within this pocket is inserted a crimped wire to form a spring F, similar to the spring 0 and held in the pocket in a similar manner. One of the loops or crimps in the spring is J, it will be seen, has a portion d, which passes under the leather of the shoe and is fastened in any suitable way. The portion d runs forward and is then turned back on itself to form the portion 6.

The portion 6 runs backward a short distance and is then turned forward above the part d again to form .the portion f, which also is passed beneath the leather in the shoe, leaving only the central portion of the fastener exposed. The lace is caught and securely held, as will be seen, by passing it under the portions f and 6, between which and the portion 01 it is securely jammed.

The lace H is first fastened to the eye G, then is passed through the eyelet E from above, underneath the outer flap A, and up through the eyelet D, and is finally caught 'andfastened in the jam-fastening J. Under ordinary circumstances the lace remains threaded through the eyelets D and E, and it is only necessary in fastening and unfastening the boot to engage and disengage it from the jam-fastener J. As the eye G and eyelet E and the jam-fastener J and the eyelet.D are located in the line along which the strain comes at their respective parts of the flaps, the strain upon the lace has no tendency to distort or strain the flaps. The reinforcing-spring F conveys the strain of the lace upon the eye G directly to the edge of the flap and causes it to lie evenly and properly under the outer flap without wrinkling, while the reinforcing-spring O in the outer flap prevents the strain upon the lace from buckling and wrinkling its edge. At the same time ample flexibility is allowed to permit the edge of the fiap to bend to accommodate itself to motions of the foot in walking. Near the edge of the under flap B, I form or connect a bead c, which, being pressed into contact with the lower side of the outer flap, prevents dust and dirt working between the two flaps and getting inside the boot.

Although I describe the springs as being formed of crimped wire, they might be formed of other material, such as fiber or rubber. For general purposes, however, a spring-steel wire may be found preferable.

From the above description it will be seen that I have invented a boot in which two operations only are required to close it perfectly on the footviz., the drawing tight of the lace and the looping of it in the fastenerso that the boot may be closed or opened in the shortest possible time. At the same time the flexibility of the springs gives perfect ease in fitting over high orlow insteps, and under all conditions the boot will remain perfectly free from wrinkles and neat in appearance. Another advantage given by the flexibility of the springs is the manner in which they allow the foot to move with perfect ease and without any of the binding sensations so often felt in lace or elastic boots when drawn tight over the instep or top of the foot. The main feature lies in the use of the spring reinforcements for the flaps, which enable me to use a lace which draws the flaps together at two or more points, thus insuring the simplicity of operation already mentioned.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is 1. In a boot, a flap having its edge reinforced with a crimped spring running parallel thereto and having an eyelet-hole formed therein, in combination with a flap reinforced at one point by a'spring running back from its edge opposite the aforesaid eyelet-hole and having a loop or part for the attachment of a lace, also opposite the aforesaid eyelet'hole, a lace secured to said loop, and means for fastening said lace, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a boot, a flap having its edge reinforced with a crimped spring running parallel thereto and having an eyelet-hole formed therein, in combination with a flap reinforced at one point by a crimped spring running back from its edge opposite the aforesaid eyelet-hole and having a loop or part for the attachment of a lace, also opposite the aforesaid eyeleehole, a lace secured to said loop, and means for fastening said lace, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

S. In a boot, a flap reinforced with a crimped spring running back from its edge, the spring having an eye formed therein projecting through the flap to form a lace attachment, snbstantiallyasand for the purpose specified.

Toronto, February 7, 1898.

JAMES FERGUSON SIIARPE.

In presence of-- Joint G. RInoU'r, A. M. NEFF. 

